Sins Among Royals

Outside the castle walls the night fell silent as the landscape was plunged into a dream like state. The citizens and residents of Blackwood slumbered in their homes, in their beds dreaming of wonderful dreams or snoring away peacefully.

All seemed calm, all seemed restful to the unassuming eye but lurking in the shadows was someone sinister, someone unsavory.

From her hilltop in the distance she had been watching, waiting for things to quieten down, waiting for the right time.

“Miss Ebony,” a voice called to her, breaking the peaceful silence around her. “What would you like us to do?” The man’s meek voice was not usual for him but he had learned that while in Ebony’s presence it was better to speak softly lest you wanted to lose your head.

Ebony turned her attention to the man that had approached her. Tearing her gaze from the castle she soon saw his trembling figure standing before her.

“We’ve been through this before,” she growled at him quickly. “Position yourselves in the town,around the castle. Infiltrate every area you can and do it quickly! We don’t have much time left!” She barked at the man who jumped visibly at the anger in her voice. “Don’t make me repeat myself again Haze! You remember what happened to the last idiot that tested my patience?”

Her question only forced the man to retreat further as he bowed and returned to the group at the bottom of the hill. They were on the shaded side, the farthest away from the castle and the town of Blackwood.

She watched them a from the top of her hill as they scurried away like the pathetic rats they were. She’d have no use for them once she had taken control of the castle.

Ebony had passed through many packs on her way to Blackwood and she had made the decision to stop in each oce and gauge their reactions to two females being made Alpha’s of their own packs.

While some loved the idea and thought it about time there were others who were strongly opposed to the idea of having female Alpha’s and thus joined Ebony on her march towards her brother and their parents.

She would make her father see that he made the wrong choice when he chose his successor.

She had proven that his first choice, Lori, was weak. She had succumb to a small dose of poison, she was inferior, weak and Ebony thought that with her little sister’s death their father would name her the next Alpha regent.

How wrong she was.

After Lori’s death their father Victor declared a month of mourning and Ebony had to wait. She was patient in her waiting and gentle in her pestering but when it came time for her father to name her as his successor he completely disregarded her and chose Noah.

Ebony’s wounds were deep but with her father choosing her younger brother she felt it was a personal attack on her. She resigned herself to theatre she was given and had accepted it, albeit with great difficulty.

What boiled her blood and angered her more was the announcement of two Alpha Females. She thought for sure that her name would be one of the two announced. She was wrong again and this time it felt like she was Ebony mocked, it felt as though someone was rubbing salt into her wounds and there was only so much she could handle.

She thought Indie was sweet and kind but Ebony soon learned the truth. She soon learned that she needed to take matters into her own hands if she was to get what she wanted.

“Let me help you.” Came a gentle female voice, “they won’t suspect a thing.”

“Me too,” a male voice joined quickly.

When Ebony looked up at the pair she grinned wickedly. “Well, if it isn’t miss Verena....” she cast a glance towards the man and recognition ired him immediately. “Is that you Felix? What on earth made you want to join me?” She had known both since they were young and though she was thankful for their support she knew of their desires to sit stop the throne.

′Let them help you then kill them like the pathetic worms they are,′ she told herself internally. She wanted the throne for herself. For her sons. She was doing it for them, for their future.

“I want to see the life drain from your brothers eyes,” Felix responded with venom and anger in his voice. He had long been jealous of everything Noah had and of everything Noah was. The man didn’t appreciate anything he had and if Felix was successful in killing Noah then he would take his mate and force her to be his. She wouldn’t be able to resist.

“And I want to be rid of that bitch he calls a mate! Your brother belongs to me! He belongs by my side! Not hers!” Verena was jealous of Indie. She had always wanted Noah to look at her the way he looked at his mate. It was supposed to be her at his side! Not some low life commoner.

“And what of your mate Verena, what does he say to you wanting Noah.” Ebony asked almost maliciously.

“He says nothing. And impossible task to do when you’re six feet under.” Ebony smiled wickedly and held her arms open for the woman. Verena stepped into the hug and felt nothing.

It had pained her so much to kill her mate. She felt as though her soul had been shattered and her heart ripped from her chest. She had thought of stopping halfway but when she heard her mates pathetic cries for help it spurned her on. The violent, frenzied attack was over and Verena was covered in blood. She sat with him for a long time, the wolf within her hoping and wishing for him to wake up. The human side of her happy and relieved to be free of him.

“You two will go to the ceremony as per normal. You will mix and mingle with guests and just before the naming ceremony we will attack. There are at least two dozen of us and if we go for the three main targets as quickly as possible then we can achieve great things.” The odds were thoroughly stacked against them but they were all so blinded by what they wanted that none of them saw the fault in their plan.

As everyone retired for the night Ebony sat atop her hill watching. Waiting.

She did not sleep and she did not eat.

Meanwhile in the darkness of the dungeons beneath the castle someone listened and heard everything that was said. The noise travelled and when it hit the entrance of the granite cave it amplified the words to an already sensitive pair of ears.

With precision Andrew closed his eyes and focused. He narrowed in on the area and on the voice. They weren’t far from the castle. It was Ebony.

“Oh shit,” Andrew muttered as he heard what was being said. Kill Indie and Noah. Andrew quickly scribbled a note on a piece of paper in front of him. He asked for forgiveness and warned of the impending danger.

Leaving his little chamber for the entry chamber he looked at the guard with great concern, “I need someone to get this to Master Noah immediately.”

The guards on either side of the door chuckled and shook their heads. “Take it yourself!” One of them laughed.

“Oh wait!” they both broke out in a fit of laughter, “you can’t leave the dungeons.”

Andrew had a difficult time accepting that the men were the best and brightest of Noah’s guard but he couldn’t dwell on the thought. They were all in danger.

“One of you take the damn note to him and tell him to keep an eye on everyone that comes into the castle. Miss Ebony is here and she wishes to ruin the ceremony tomorrow night.” At the mention of Ebony and the ceremony both men stopped laughing and exchanged worried looks. “Also tell Master Noah I am sorry,” Andrew added quickly.

Both men looked at him oddly, “Why?” they both asked in unison.

“For this,” Andrew mumbled before throwing the note at the man inside and rushing at the metal door that lead to the outside.

A loud crack and crash echoed through the dark la decade waking ma y in the castle. The heavy, metal door flew off its hinges and over the side of the steps, it bounced and slid down into the creek below as Andrew took off running at great speed.

If this were to happen he needed the help of a friend, of someone he helped many years ago. Andrew raced across the landscape like a shadow. He needed to get to where he was going by sunlight. If he couldn’t make it there and back by the ceremony then there was a chance things wouldn’t end well for Noah or Indie.

Or so he thought.